pyrimidine
/paɪˈrɪmɪdiːn/
noun
- A type of chemical compound that is one of the building blocks of DNA and RNA. It has a ring structure made of carbon and nitrogen atoms.
- The DNA molecule contains two types of pyrimidine bases: cytosine and thymine.
- In biology class, we learned that pyrimidine is a key part of the genetic code.
- Scientists study how pyrimidine molecules pair with purines to form the rungs of the DNA ladder.